RENAISSANCE DANCE - Long Beach City College

RENAISSANCE DANCEBALLET WAS BORN IN EUROPE DURING THERENAISSANCE ROUGHLY 1300-1600 AT THECOURTS OF ITALIAN AND FRENCH NOBILITY.THE RENAISSANCE SAW AN INFLUX OF WEALTHINTO SOCIETY.THERE WAS A SEARCH FOR A LIFESTYLE THATWAS PLEASANT, JOYFUL, AND LUXURIOUS.

LIFE AT COURTDRESSING AND FASHION BECAME ARTISTICRITUALS.POLITENESS, TACT AND DELICACY WERE THEORDER OF THE DAY.PROPER BEHAVIOR WAS CONSIDERED AN ARTAND WAS EXPECTED IN HIGH SOCIETY.PEOPLE WERE WELCOMED IN HIGH SOCIETY INPROPORTION TO THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ORSKILLS.PEOPLE OF LEISURE AND MEANS TOOKLESSONS OF ALL KINDS AND DANCING WAS THEMOST PRIZED OF ALL

DANCING MASTERSDANCING WAS ONE OF THE PRIMEACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ANY LADY ORGENTLEMAN.MANY NOBLE HOUSES HAD A DANCINGMASTER TO TEACH THE STEPS AND PROPERBEARING.

ITALIANRENAISSANCEDANCING MASTER

PRE-CLASSIC DANCETWO TYPES:A. BASSE DANCE1. LOW TO THE GROUND2. MOSTLY SLOW STEPSB. HAUTE DANCE1. HIGH OFF THE GROUND2. LIVELY JUMPS AND TURNS

RENAISSANCE COURT DANCESA. PAVANNE- A SLOW STATELY DANCE IN WHICHTHE DAMSELS KEPT THEIR EYES LOWERED ANDUSED TO SHOW OFF CEREMONIAL ROBES BY THEARISTOCRACY. CONSISTED OF WALKING, GLIDINGAND CURTSEYING.B. ALLEMANDE - THE ONLY DANCE IN WHICH THEPARTNERS HELD BOTH OF EACH OTHER’S HANDS.C. MINUET-THE MOST POPULAR COURT DANCEWAS CHARACTERIZED BY ARTIFICIAL BEHAVIORAND SHORT, DAINTY STEPS.D. GALLIARD- A VIGOROUS GAIETY WITH ANUMBER OF LEAPS AND LEG THRUSTS.E. GIGUE-THE MOST EXCITING, SPEEDY DANCE.F. VOLTA-THE MAN LIFTS THE WOMAN OFF THEFLOOR.

MINUETBASSEDANCE

ALLEMANDEBASSEDANCE

VOLTA-HAUTE DANCE

DANCING MANUALS“ORCHESOGRAPHY" WAS PUBLISHED IN 1589AND IS THE BEST-KNOWN DANCE TREATISE OFTHE RENAISSANCE.IT WAS WRITTEN BY A MAN NAMED JEHANTABOUROT, UNDER THE PSEUDONYM THOINOTARBEAU."ORCHESOGRAPHY" DESCRIBES DANCES OFTHE FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH CENTURY, ANDINCLUDES DRAWINGS AND MUSICAL EXCERPTSOF DIFFERENT DANCES.

EXCERPT FROM ORCHESOGRAPHY

QUALIFICATIONS OF A GOOD DANCERA, RHYTHMB. MEMORYC. USE OF SPACED. LIGHTNESSE. COORDINATIONF. THE GIFT FOR EXPRESSION

COURT ENTERTAINMENTSCOURT ENTERTAINMENTS WERE SHOWY PAGEANTSTHAT CONTAINED THE SKETCHY OUTLINE OF BALLETSPECTACLES BUT WITH LIMITED DANCING.MASKS WERE OFTEN USED AS A SOURCE OF FUN.THE MOST TALENTED, ENERGETIC COURTIERS WOULDBE IN THE SHOW WHICH CONSISTED OF A MUSICALINTRODUCTION THEN A SERIES OF TABLEAUX,PANTOMIMES, AND SPECIAL EFFECTS.THEMES AND IDEAS-STORIES AND LEGENDS OF THEPRE-CHRISTIAN ERA WERE POPULAR IN 15TH AND16TH CENTURIES, IDEAS FROM GREEK AND ROMANMYTHOLOGY, AND HISTORY.SCENIC EFFECTS CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO THE VISUALSPECTACLE.

CATHERINE DE MEDICI1519-1589, ITALIAN-BORN QUEEN OF FRANCEMARRIED TO FRENCH KING, HENRY.SHE WAS A COLD, HARD SCHEMERRESPONSIBLE FOR BLOODY MASSACRES.TALENTED ARTISTS FROM ITALY FOLLOWEDHER TO FRANCE AND CREATED ALUXURIOUS, ITALIAN-STYLE COURT.CATHERINE ENCOURAGED MUSICIANS,DANCE TEACHERS, SET DESIGNERS, ANDPOETS WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

CATHERINE DE MEDICI

THE FIRST BALLETBALTHASAR DE BEAUJOYEUX IN 1555 WASIN CHARGE OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR THECOURT OF CATHERINEIN 1581 HE CREATED BALLET COMIQUE DELA REINE, THE FIRST REAL BALLET.IT WAS UNIQUE IN THAT IT:A. LASTED FOR 5 HOURSB. CONTAINED LARGE NUMBER OF DANCESEQUENCESC. ELABORATE SETS1. FOUNTAINS2. WATER MACHINES3. A PALACE4. GARDENS5. A CHARIOT FLOATD. SPECIALLY WRITTEN POETIC SCRIPTE. COMMISSIONED MUSIC BY A NUMBER OFENSEMBLES

BALLET COMIQUE DELA REINE-THE FISTREAL BALLET, 1581

THE ENGLISH MASQUEBEN JONSON 1572- 1637ENGLISH COMIC DRAMATIST WHO WROTE COURTENTERTAINMENTS AND SPICED THEM UP WITHCOMIC EVEN GROTESQUE SCENES.HE USED:A. UNEXPECTED MOVEMENTS AND STEPSB. FUNNY FACESC. RIDICULOUS GESTURESD. UGLY CHARACTERS1. OLD WITCHES2. DISTORTED, CLUMSY MOVEMENTS

INIGO JONES1573-1652-SCENIC DESIGNERWORKED WITH JOHNSON AND CREATEDMARVELOUS SCENIC CHANGES WITHCOMPLICATED MACHINERY.HE USED HANDSOME, WITTY COSTUMESTOPPED WITH RICHLY EXPRESSIVE MASKS.HE ALSO EXCELLED AT FLOOR PLANS THATINCLUDED GEOMETRIC PATTERNS ANDTRACED THE NAMES OF ROYALTY TO BEHONORED.

INIGO JONES STAGE DESIGN

17TH CENTURY BALLETSTWO TYPES OF BALLETS:DRAMATIC VERSUS BALLET A ENTREESA. DRAMATIC (MIMETIC)1. ACTION AROUND AN ACTUAL PLOT ORSTORY LINE2. SUBJECT WAS OFTEN JERUSALEM ATTHE TIME OF THE CRUSADESB. ENTREES OR DIVERTISSEMENTS1. JUST DANCING

DANCE DIVERTISSEMENTSDANCE DIVERTISSEMENTS WERE ALSOCALLED FIGURED DANCING OR BALLETMASQUERADES.THE FORM FOLLOWED:A. ENTRANCE OF MUSICIANSB. SET OF DANCES BY MASKED PERFORMERSC. THE GRAND BALLETD. SOCIAL DANCING BY ALL GUESTS

THE SUN KINGLOUIS XIV 1638-1715-KING OF FRANCEHE WAS THE MOST FAMOUS DANCING KING.DUBBED THE SUN KING.WITH HIS REIGN CAME THE BEGINNINGS OF APROFESSIONAL BALLET TRADITION.LOUIS WAS TREATED LIKE A GOD. HE HAD 10,000SERVANTS.THE STYLE OF CLASSICAL BALLET OWES A GREATDEAL TO THE PERSONAL MANNERISMS OF KINGLOUIS.HE DANCED IN COURT BALLETS FOR 20 YEARS.

KING LOUIS XIVTHE SUN KING

LA BALLET DE LA NUIT1653AT AGE 14 HE STARRED IN THIS BALLET.HE HAD 6 ROLES BUT THE MOST IMPORTANTWAS THE SUN KING.IT CONTAINED 43 DIVERTISSEMENTS IN 4 ACTSFOLLOWING THE PROGRESS OF THE HOURS OFTHE NIGHT.HE STARRED IN MANY BALLETS AFTER THISEVEN CREATING HIS OWN VARIATIONS.

KING LOUIS’ NEW ORDERTHE SPIRIT OF THE AGE WAS THATEVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE WORKSACCORDING TO LOGICAL PRINCIPLES THATCAN BE UNDERSTOOD WITH THE USE OFSYSTEMATIC, INTELLECTUAL REASONING.THIS RESULTED IN ETIQUETTE FOR EVERYSITUATION BEING STRICTLY PRESCRIBED.LANGUAGE AND ART WAS CODIFIED.BEAUTIFUL, EXPRESSIVE WORKS WEREPRODUCED IN ALL FIELDS.

DANCE & MUSIC ACADEMIESACADEMIES WERE FOUNDED TO FIX OBJECTIVE STANDARDSFOR THE PERFECTION OF TECHNIQUE AND ARTISTRY.JEAN BAPTISTE LULLY 1632-1687A. KING LOUIS’ MUSIC MASTERB. DIRECTOR OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSICC. COMPOSER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, AND A DANCERD. WORKED CLOSELY WITH BEAUCHAMPSPIERRE BEAUCHAMPS 1636-1705A. DIRECTOR OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF DANCEB. CODIFIED THE STEPS OF BALLETC. STRESSED TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE

5 FOOT POSITIONS OF BALLETCODIFIED BY BEAUCHAMPS

PROSCENIUM STAGEDANCERS PERFORMED AS THEY DO TODAY ON APROSCENIUM RAISED STAGE MAKING A SERIES OF PICTURESFRAMED BY THE PROSCENIUM ARCH WITH AUDIENCE SITTINGOPPOSITE.THE STAGE WAS SET FOR THE PERFORMERS TO BECOMEPROFESSIONAL. NOW WOMEN COULD DANCE WOMEN’SROLES.THEY WERE SEPARATED PHYSICALLY BY THE PROSCENIUMSTAGE AND MOVED FROM THE COURTS.AUDIENCES NOW PAID FOR PERFORMANCE. ANYONE COULDATTEND NOT JUST THE COURT.NEW ENTERTAINMENT WAS SOUGHT AFTER TO APPEAL TO ALARGER, MORE DIVERSE CROWD.

THEATRE AT VERSAILLES

DANCE IN THE ASANTE COURTTHE ASANTE TRIBE, GHANA, AFRICATHE ELECTED KING IS CALLED ASANTEHENEBEING A GOOD DANCER IS ONE OF THEQUALIFICATIONS FOR ELECTION TO ASANTEHENE.CHIEFS AT EVERY LEVEL MAINTAIN ENSEMBLES OFDRUMMERS AND DANCERS TO DO HONOR TOTHEIR OWN POSITION AND TO PAY HOMAGE TOTHOSE HIGHER UP IN THE HIERARCHY.

ASANTEHENE

ASANTE COURTIERA. ENJOYED A LIFE OF PRIVILEGE, ABUNDANCE, ANDLEISURE.B. CLOTHES, SPEECH, MANNERS, AND BEARINGINFLUENCED HIS RANK.C. DANCING WAS ESSENTIAL TO THE DISPLAY OFPOWER.D. THOSE WHO FAILED TO MEET THE COURT’S HIGHSTANDARDS SUFFERED EMBARRASSMENT ORWORSE.E. COURTIERS MANEUVERED TO GET CLOSER TO THEKING.F. RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS ON THE SONGS ANDDANCES TO THE NEXT GENERATION.

ASANTE CHIEF

ASANTE COURT ENTERTAINMENTTHE UNITY OF THE ASANTE NATION WASSYMBOLIZED BY A GOLDEN STOOL.ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS THE ENTIRE HIERARCHYGATHERED AT THE PALACE OF THE ASANTEHENE.WEARING BEST CLOTHING AND GOLD JEWELRY, THECOURTIERS DANCED FOR THE ASANTEHENE.LESSER CHIEFS PERFORMED FIRST AND THE MOSTPOWERFUL AND PRESTIGIOUS LAST.

ASANTE CHIEF ANDHIS COURT

ASANTEHENE AND ROYAL COURT

renaissance dance ballet was born in europe during the renaissance roughly 1300-1600 at the courts of italian and french nobility. the renaissance saw an influx of wealth into society. there was a search